Block Detection and DCC

[hosh]

Has Hornby ever supported block detection? i.e. have they ever sold any products for it?

It seems to me that Railmaster is a joke without some sort of detection. Use of the word "Automation" is borderline false advertising - let me explain.

Automation

- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Automation?s=t

"a mechanical device, operated electronically, that functions automatically, without continuous input from an operator."

I draw attention to the word "continuous" here. As it stands, Railmaster

allows a string of simple commands and I beleive there is a repeat function as well. Let's take the simple task of a train in a loop that we wish to stop repeatedly at a station. So we program for that loop and then repeat it, theoretically, every time the

train completes a loop. I say "theoretically" because there is no way for Railmaster to know that an exact loop has been completed on the track when each cycle completes. Over time, compound error will (due to wheelspin, etc) render this repeat cycle laughable

and the train will miss the station completely.

What a waste!

There has been block detection for model rail for years - how can this be omitted from
Railmaster? Are we to have the eventual Hornby RFID forced upon us?

Here is what we

are missing without block detection -

ID trains - we would expect a train to pass a block at a certain time and when it does, Railmaster would know that train was there, then. A window could be defined and if the train is too late then the layout, or

just that train, could be shut down. Who needs RFID?

Resynch - every time our trains pass a block they can be resynched. i.e. there program starts anew and compound error could be virtually completely eliminated.

Buffer - 2 trains on the same

loop can keep their distance from each other. This is a most basic function of DCC and would have application on even the most basic layouts. For example, a layout may be simply 1 single line loop with 2 stations. 2 passenger trains could stop and start at

those stations and remain on the other side of the loop from each other without the possibility of one catching and colliding with the other. They could speed up/slow down, or pause longer at stations, to accomplish this. This also has widespread implications

for co-ordinating the entire layout.

Sealing - if the last axle on a train was made live (connection of wheels with a resistor), then the block can send this info to Railmaster. Again, if this happens within a prescribed time window then we know our

train is sealed (no accidental uncoupling) and we don't get collisions from idle carriages left behind from an accidental uncouple.

The list goes on.

Railmaster without detection - shameful under-utilization!

[stevecamden]

The advantage of RFID is that each loco has a unique identifier so the programme ( Railmaster in this case) can be made to respond appropriately to a particular programme thread.

You don't have to have anything forced upon you - there are many

other railway computer control systems using block detection if that is the way you want to go.

I can quite understand that Hornby want to get their RFID right - its not something you can change half way through and it will make Railmaster a computer

control system at an affordable price for the hobbyist wanting some computer control.

[hosh]

One of the points I left out was that I cannot imagine many, if any, situations where you would not already know what train had just been detected on a block since the Railmaster would be constantly expecting a specific train to be the next detected at

that point. I am happy to be told otherwise if I'm wrong about this.

If one wanted to get extremely fussy about breaking a whole train down car by car in a shunting yard, then I can see RFID being handy but you could even do that with blocks if you

knew where everything was to start with.

In any case, why does the elite not accept block detection, or any other kind, right now? How is receiving acknowledge messages from loco/point/etc decoders and different from receiving block info from those

decoders and sending it on to the PC? And will it ever or is this just a marketing ploy to force it's loyal followers to buy into "Hornby" RFID?

[Train Kid1707817815]

I agree with you totally hosh, detection is an essential element to Railmaster and DCC. I do remember reading somewhere that they planned to release detection as this was one of the deciding factors in my purchase of Railmaster however I am unable to inform

you when or even if they still plan to release it. Lets just keep our fingers crossed it will appear in the near future.